Six great reads: Virginia Giuffre’s story, the truth about chatfishing, and Peter Thiel’s search for the antichrist

Virginia Giuffre, the American woman who was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his friend Ghislaine Maxwell, has written a memoir detailing her traumatic experiences. In an exclusive extract from her book, Giuffre recounts how she was lured into a relationship with Prince Andrew when she was just 17 years old, with the royal believing that having sex with her was his "birthright". The allegations against Prince Andrew have long been denied by him and his team.

The article also delves into the world of 'Chatfishing', where people are duped into relationships through computer-generated charm. Once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for AI-powered manipulators who can build a whole fake persona in seconds.

Meanwhile, Chinese journalist Wang Jian has been making headlines with his candid take on life under Trump. In an interview, he discussed the peculiarities of American democracy, comparing it to second-generation wealth.

On another note, French philosopher Manon Garcia recently attended the Dominique Pelicot trial and wrote about Gisèle Pelicot's rapists in a new book. Her conclusion was stark: "There's something about what it is for them to be a man [that makes them] deeply convinced that they haven't done anything wrong".

The article also explores how director Kathryn Bigelow has long staked out her own place in cinema, being one of the few working film-makers to have climbed Kilimanjaro. She is also still among the most controversial directors.

Last but not least, tech reporter Adrian Daub uncovered a very strange story about rightwing tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The PayPal founder has been giving off-the-record lectures in San Francisco warning about the threat of the antichrist and a pending Armageddon. In these lectures, Thiel's picture is one of someone desperately trying to disidentify from their own power.

These stories highlight some of the more bizarre side effects of social media and technology.

I mean... how crazy is it that Virginia Giuffre was trafficked into a relationship with Prince Andrew when she was just 17?! It's like, what even is that? And now there's this whole 'Chatfishing' thing going on where people are getting manipulated online. Like, how do you even catch someone in a lie online? But at the same time, it's so sad that people have to deal with that stuff.

I cant believe how easy it is for people to be manipulated online ... back in my day we didn't have all this AI-powered chat-up lines and soft-focus photos, if you wanted someone's attention you had to actually put in the effort to talk to them face-to-face . And now everyone's got a fake persona going on, it's like they're living in some kind of virtual reality ... anyway, I'm just saying, I've seen some weird stuff in my online browsing history too, but this Peter Thiel guy taking about the antichrist? that's some next level stuff

omg I cant even imagine being 17 and thinking that having sex with prince andrew was his "birthright" he needs to own up to what he did to Virginia Giuffre, she's still got PTSD from all that anyway, have you guys ever been "chatfished"? I swear, those AI-powered manipulators are so bad it's like they're reading your mind! and can we talk about Peter Thiel for a sec? guy sounds super unstable is this what happens when u get too much power tho?

I'm so tired of reading about powerful people thinking they're above the law . I mean, come on Prince Andrew, you can't just waltz into a 17-year-old girl's life and expect her to be all like "oh yeah, having sex with you is my birthright". That's not how it works!

And what's with this chatfishing thing? It's like, we're already dealing with enough fake news and social media drama, do we really need AI-powered manipulators too? Can't people just be honest with each other for once?

But you know who I feel sorry for? The victims of these powerful men. Like Gisèle Pelicot, who had to deal with rapists and now has the courage to speak out about it. Her conclusion is so true: there's something messed up about how some people view themselves as above the law just because of their privilege.

And can we talk about Peter Thiel for a second? I mean, warning about an apocalypse in off-the-record lectures? That's not a sign of someone who's concerned about the future, that's a sign of someone who's trying to avoid accountability for their own actions.

OMG, I'm literally shook by Giuffre's story ... I mean, can you even imagine being lured into a relationship with Prince Andrew at 17? It's like something out of a bad movie. And chatfishing is such a thing now - it's like, you're trying to be nice and friendly online, but really you're just getting played by some AI robot .

But on a more serious note, I'm so tired of all these stories about people being manipulated or gaslighted... can't we just have a conversation without someone trying to control us ? And what's with Peter Thiel and his Armageddon lectures? Is this some kind of joke?

I guess what I'm saying is that social media is wild, man... it's like, one minute you're vibing with someone online, the next they're trying to sell you a timeshare or something . Anyway, gotta go study for my exam now...

I'm still reeling over Giuffre's memoir, the thought that Prince Andrew really believed having sex with her was his "birthright" is just mind-blowing ...and then you have this whole 'Chatfishing' thing where people are getting played by AI, it's like we're living in a sci-fi movie . At the same time, I'm fascinated by Wang Jian's take on American democracy - the comparison to second-gen wealth is so on point . And what's up with Peter Thiel's lectures? Like, isn't he a billionaire who can afford to hire private security or something? Anyway, it just goes to show how far social media and tech have taken us...it's like we're living in a virtual world where reality is hard to distinguish from fantasy .